Lineker's Left Foot Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 If you consider the regions where Premiership football clubs are located, Aston Villa are the only team in the Midlands to be represented in the Premiership next season - and so from Manchester to Reading THAT is a poor sign of our current status in English football for the Midlands region. This region also includes Wales (Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham) and East Anglia as well (Ipswich, Norwich, Peterborough). I believe that apart from Wrexham, these other clubs with the size of their respective cities could all be massive clubs including Leicester and be represented in the Premiership. So do you think Midlands football is likely to improve and if any club could, in the forseeable future, challenge for a UEFA Cup spot or even Champions League Place?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maybes Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 So do you think Midlands football is likely to improve and if any club could, in the forseeable future, challenge for a UEFA Cup spot or even Champions League Place?? In a nut shell .....no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokes Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 If you consider the regions where Premiership football clubs are located, Aston Villa are the only team in the Midlands to be represented in the Premiership next season - and so from Manchester to Reading THAT is a poor sign of our current status in English football for the Midlands region. This region also includes Wales (Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham) and East Anglia as well (Ipswich, Norwich, Peterborough). I believe that apart from Wrexham, these other clubs with the size of their respective cities could all be massive clubs including Leicester and be represented in the Premiership. So do you think Midlands football is likely to improve and if any club could, in the forseeable future, challenge for a UEFA Cup spot or even Champions League Place?? Football has a habit of changing things fast but it may be while before we see this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 The bizarre thing about it is that fairly recently, this just wasn't the case. Leicester, Derby, Forest, Birmingham, West Brom have ALL spent time in the premiership fairly recently and yet Villa are the only Midlands club to be represented there next year. East Anglia has NO premiership team despite Ipswich and Norwich having been there recently. Of this lot, ALL of the teams which have been mentioned have been relegated at some point in the last 3 ( ? ) years whilst only Leicester and West Brom have been promoted in recent times - resulting in both cases in relegation soon after. Further to this, Villa, who are a very big club, have hardly set the premiership alight in recent years and seem to be a waning force themselves. It's also a little worrying how many clubs in the area are in serious financial trouble and seem to be struggling to attract fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr The Singh Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 The bizarre thing about it is that fairly recently, this just wasn't the case. Leicester, Derby, Forest, Birmingham, West Brom have ALL spent time in the premiership fairly recently and yet Villa are the only Midlands club to be represented there next year. East Anglia has NO premiership team despite Ipswich and Norwich having been there recently. Of this lot, ALL of the teams which have been mentioned have been relegated at some point in the last 3 ( ? ) years whilst only Leicester and West Brom have been promoted in recent times - resulting in both cases in relegation soon after. Further to this, Villa, who are a very big club, have hardly set the premiership alight in recent years and seem to be a waning force themselves. It's also a little worrying how many clubs in the area are in serious financial trouble and seem to be struggling to attract fans. Glaring mis-management of the midland clubs, they either have tried to compete with the top clubs and tried to get into europe by spending masses of money or tried to stay in the top flight by spending masses of money. Either wayit has crippled the clubs and a great lack of success has lead to a drop in attendances and interest!!!! What a shame!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milky Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 Do the best players really want to come and live in the midlands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 3 May 2006 Share Posted 3 May 2006 What has happened to football in the midlands???? By Big_ox Date: 2/5/2006 with up to 5 midlands teams being relegated this year what has gone wrong with the football in the Midlands, no one thing can be blamed but a culmination of things. Big Ox gives his views The demise of Midlands football. This season surely has to be the worst for many a decade for Midlands football. Here's how the midlands clubs fared PREMIERSHIP Aston Villa look like ending up in their WORST ever Premiership position only 5 points above the drop and no local derby next season. Villa managed only 39 points (with one game to go) all season 10 of which picked up in their 4 derby matches doing the double over Birmingham and a win and draw with the Baggies. . The Blues of Birmingham City had their destiny in their hands but after being humiliated 7-0 on TV by Liverpool in the FA Cup they only managed to pick up 10 points in their next 8 matches. West Brom's last victory was 13 matches ago when they beat Blackburn 2-10 at Home. this then was followed by a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Fulham and they have failed to pick up 3 points in a game since. A friend of mine is a Baggies season ticket holder and he said he cant wait until the end of the season because he is sick of watching s**t football. CHAMPIONSHIP The highest placed Midlands club in the Championship is Wolves. But they have really disappointed as they faded badly after christmas and even with the late surge of 2 wins on the bounce at the end of the season they were still well adrift of Crystal Palace in the last of the play offs places. The Sky Blues barely got over the Horizon ending up in a disappointing 8th Place 12 points adrift of the play offs. Stoke City ended up in 13th position after such a promising start they disappeared as quickly as the ceramics factories that once adorned the potteries. Leicester City started the season with so much hope but the Foxes ended up chasing their own tails ending up a lowly 16th place. The Rams of Derby ended up looking over their shoulders at the relegation places as they slid perilously close as the season ended picking up only 5 points (one of them against Dull City) in the last 8 matches the 3 points against Millwall helped their cause in a tense "6 Pointer". The rams clung on. LEAGUE ONE The team by far with the best season in the Midlands has to be Notts Forest who are just one win (and Swansea dropping points) off making the play offs. Forest were the cannon fodder of the division in the most part of the season that was until GAry Megson left (or was pushed). IN the last 12 games they won 8 drew 3 and lost one (to a late goal against relegation threatened Hartlepool). picking up 27 points out of a possible 36 propelled Forest to the brink of the playoffs. THE 7-1 VICTORY OVER SWINDLE WAS THE SECOND OF THOSE MATCHES. (Ooops did i leave my caps lock on for that bit). The only other midlands team in League one is (or rather was) Walsall who were so dire they are even below Swindle with a game left. LEAGUE TWO Shrewsbury Town had a bad start to the season but with plenty of Diving from McMenamin they managed to swindle enough refs to give them Penalties which earned them enough points to climb to mid table (just joking shrews i am sure they were all deserved, except the one against us that is). Mansfield Town another side that had problems on and off the pitch promised not much delivered even less. Notts county the worlds oldest club face falling out of the league next week if results go against them. Notts county have been dire all season and now the day of reckoning is nearing then finally Us Oxford United once a top flight club facing being replaced by the team who gave us league status back in 1962 if we cant pick up 3 points in our last game of the season. We have lacked skill, creativity, passion and all round commitment. We need to win on saturday to avoid trips to kidderminster, exeter and other former league clubs graveyards. The stats speak for themselves. So where has it all gone wrong? Its not as if this season is a one off we have had to endure dire football in most clubs in the midlands for a number of years. Many clubs blame chairmen for either not getting involved enough or for getting too involved. The Boards of some clubs seem to be getting the blame, West Brom sold Rob Earnshaw to Norwich and since going to Norfolk Ernie has been singing like a canary popping goals in everywhere was it a bad board decision. Walsall Sold not just the clubs top scorer but the DIVISION's top scorer when Matty Fryatt left for Leicester City. Since he left Walsall have been saddled with relegation whilst the foxes got a great player. Oxford sold Davies and Hackett for a song when they had fallings out with the former Manager. Speaking to Villa Fans in work some blame Injuries, the manager, Doug Ellis or all three. If a player is injured and you only have a small squad his replacement doesn't have to try too hard because he's guaranteed a game. I don't think its any particular reason this season has been so bad but for most a culmination of many things, Managers playing players out of position, too much change at some clubs, not enough change at others. Bigger clubs in the divisions having a sugar Daddy to buy anyone and everyone to get a piece of silverware. A real mixture of things is the reason as i say i cant be certain what is the problem and how to solve it to make the midlands football teams great again., but i can tell you something for certain many of you will get your letters in june, july asking for your support with the promises that this season really is our year and you will fill it in and send off for your next season ticket. Why BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR TEAM IN YOUR BLOOD. Your teams colours running through your veins and no matter what you will be there next season full of expectation and hope. Hope that you will have a good season, Hope you will get into the latter stages of the cups and draw a big fish, hope that you can even do a bit of giant killing on the way but most of all hope that your team will turn up, pull on your shirts and wear them with the same pride and passion that you do, and maybe just maybe dare we hope for celebrations come next may? LETS HOPE SO GOOD LUCK TO ALL MIDLANDS SUPPORTERS REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU ARE PLAYING AGAINST (Obviously unless its not Oxford then good luck before and after) all the best Big Ox Ps if you have any thoughts on the reasons why midlands football has gone sour feel free to E mail me or put a message up on the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royston. Posted 4 May 2006 Share Posted 4 May 2006 Its just coincidence. I think Coventry would see their season as a success. Even if WBA and Brum hadnt been relegated from the Prem, you would still have 3 mediocre albiet Premiership Midlands teams. Another theory is Midlands teams tend to use a lot of the same players. Maybe thats why Midlands football is poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFFC Chris Posted 5 May 2006 Share Posted 5 May 2006 Well I don't think had the best season out of the midlands teams,I think Coventry can say they have had a better season than us,I will this season as a dissapointment if/when we fail to make the playoffs tommorow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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